1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic plate making machine equipped with a photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus and photosensitive printing plate packaging means. In the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus, photosensitive printing plates packaged in the printing plate packaging means are first taken out therefrom in a condition in which light from the outside is blocked, and the photosensitive printing plates which have been taken out are conveyed to a predetermined position in an automatic plate making machine or the like by the same supplying apparatus. The photosensitive printing plate packaging means is designed such that taking out the photosensitive printing plates from the packaging means by the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus can be carried out in an optimum way inside the same supplying apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, since the automation of plate making processes has become easy due to electrophotographic plate making methods, photosensitive printing plates (PS plates) have been widely used. Such a photosensitive printing plate is, for example, a plate in which an electrophotographic photosensitive layer is formed on a thin aluminum plate. The electrophotographic printing plate is loaded into an automatic plate making machine such as a digital plate recorder (setter) or the like. The electrophotographic photosensitive layer is exposed, developed, fixed, and the like on the basis of an original image by this automatic plate making machine to form a printing plate.
Further, the automatic plate making machine may include a printing plate supplying apparatus for automating the supply of photosensitive printing plates. When a bundle of photosensitive printing plates, in which a plurality of photosensitive printing plates are stacked, is loaded into this printing plate supplying apparatus, one photosensitive printing plate is taken out from the bundle of photosensitive printing plates by the printing plate supplying apparatus when the plate making process is started, and this photosensitive printing plate is conveyed to a position at which the plate making process is started.
The automatic plate making machine successively conveys the photosensitive printing plates, which have been conveyed to the starting position of plate making, to an exposure portion, a development portion, a fixing portion, and the like in accordance with a predetermined plate making process and discharges the photosensitive printing plates, for which the plate making has been completed, to the exterior of the apparatus.
The photosensitive printing plate as described above has high photosensitivity and a chemical change may occur in the photosensitive layer when exposed by light, even if the amount of light is very small. Further, a change may occur in the photosensitive layer by the photosensitive layer absorbing moisture in the air.
In order to prevent a change in the quality of the photosensitive printing plate due to such changes, the photosensitive printing plates are packaged in an internal wrapper, which has light-shielding properties and moisture-proof properties, from the time when the photosensitive printing plates are manufactured to the time when the photosensitive printing plates are loaded into the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus in the automatic plate making machine. The internal wrapper includes a paper having good light-shielding properties and moisture-proof properties, for example, an aluminum kraft paper in which polyethylene is melted and applied to the kraft paper to adhere aluminum foil thereon, a black polyethylene laminated kraft paper in which melted polyethylene mixed with black carbon is applied to kraft paper, or the like.
Further, in order to prevent damage or the like to the photosensitive printing plates or the internal wrapper in a carrying process or a storing process from the time when the photosensitive printing plates are manufactured to the time when the photosensitive printing plates are loaded into the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus in the automatic plate making machine, a packaging box is separately manufactured and the photosensitive printing plates packaged in the internal wrapper are accommodated within this packaging box. The packaging box is, for example, a corrugated cardboard box or the like which is light and has high strength.
However, in this case, when the photosensitive printing plates packaged in the internal wrapper are loaded into the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus in the automatic plate making machine, the internal wrapper has to be opened to take out the photosensitive printing plates.
Similarly, in the case of photosensitive printing plates which are packaged in an internal wrapper and placed within a packaging box, when the photosensitive printing plates are loaded into the printing plate supplying apparatus in the automatic plate making machine, it is necessary to open the packaging box first, to take out the photosensitive printing plates from the packaging box, and further to open the packaging, i.e., the internal wrapper having light-shielding properties.
As a result, in order to prevent accidental exposure of the photosensitive printing plates before loading, the operation in which the photosensitive printing plates are loaded into the photosensitive printing plate supplying apparatus is to be effected manually in a dark environment. Accordingly, the operational efficiency is extremely poor and the work is burdensome to the operator.
Moreover, when the entire room in which the automatic plate making machine is provided is made dark, it is difficult to carry out other operations within the room and it is sometimes necessary to stop such other operations. Thus, the operational efficiency is unsatisfactory.